WWF-Malaysia and TRAFFIC today called on the government to set up a National Tiger Task Force to save Malaysia’s remaining wild tigers that are fast declining in numbers.

It is thought that there are now less than 500 tigers left in the entire country which includes the three tiger priority landscapes – Belum Temengor, Taman Negara and Endau-Rompin forest complexes.

The call was made in a memorandum that WWF-Malaysia and TRAFFIC delivered to the Prime Minister’s Office today, together with some 100 cards which carried “Save Our Tiger” messages from members of the public.

The Task Force should be established under the purview of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as the cooperation of multiple departments and agencies is essential to ensure greater and more comprehensive enforcement.

The memorandum, which cited poaching as “the most immediate threat to the survival of wild tigers”, reported that between 2010 and 2011, close to 1,000 snares were detected in the tiger priority landscapes.

Local and foreign poaching syndicates are emptying the forests of tigers, their prey, and other wildlife. Most of these poachers are armed and they, especially the foreigners, enter the forests without any fear of getting caught, mentioned the memorandum. More....